Hair clipper guide



Oct. 26, 1965 J. R. KENNEDY 3,213,864

HAIR CLIPPER GUIDE Filed Nov. 4, 1965 \fames fnneaf INYILYI'OR PATENT ACINT United States Patent 3,213,864 HAIR CLIPPER GUIDE James R. Kennedy, 850 St. Marys St., Peterhorough, Ontario, Canada Filed Nov. 4, 1963, Ser. No. 321,074 4 Claims. (Cl. 132-45) This invention relates to devices for guiding hair clippers or trimmers.

The conventional hair clipper requires skilled operation if satisfactory results are to be achieved. It has heretofore been proposed to provide various types of supporting frames or guides designed to simplify the operation of hair clippers whereby reasonably satisfactory results may be effected by a relatively unskilled person in the cutting of his own or other persons hair. However, it is extremely difficult to provide for the many areas of adjustment required. The varying contour of the head and the continuously varying depths of cut required at the many head areas contribute to this difiiculty. As a result, there is apparently no widespread use of hair clipping guides at the present time.

It is an object of this invention to provide a hair clipper guiding apparatus which is of simple and inexpensive construction, and which is subject to convenient manipulation and adjustment for effective use of a hair clipper on all areas of the head.

The invention resides in the provision of a generally U-shaped frame having a pair of opposed parallel track members, a hair clipper supporting carriage slidably mounted on the track members, each track member having a first straight section of major extent and a second section of minor extent extending at an oblique angle from the first section, and a generally U-shaped frame transversely disposed with respect to the track members and adjustably secured thereto, said second frame having end portions, and a shoe adjustably mounted on each of the end portions,

The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a device in accordance with the invention,

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation of the device, and

FIGURE 3 is an end elevation of a hair clipper support.

In the drawing, is a U-shaped frame having parallel, opposed legs 11 constituting track members and a connecting web 12.

Each track member has a substantially straight section 11a of major extent and a second section 11b of minor extent extending at an oblique angle from section 11a, the sections merging into each other along a gentle curve.

Slidably mounted on the track members 11 is a hair clipper supporting carriage 13 which comprises, as shown, a plate 14 having depending edge portions 15, and a pair of outwardly extending lugs 16 on each edge portion. Each lug is provided with an opening 17 for reception of a track member 11.

A conventional hair clipper is shown at 18 and it is mounted on plate 14 by means of bolt 19 and wing nut 20.

A head-engageable roller 21 may be provided and is shown as mounted on a spindle 22 which is suspended from the carriage 13 by means of a pair of straps 23 each adjustably secured to a lug 16 by means of screw 24 which extends through a slot 25 in strap 23. It will be apparent that the height of track members 11 (with carriage 13 and clipper 18 carried thereby) above a supporting surface such as the head, may be adjusted as required by moving the roller 21 towards or away from the track members.

A second U-shaped frame 26 is transversely disposed "ice with respect to frame 10 and has a pair of legs 27 and a connecting web 28. A bar 29 is slidably mounted on track members 11 which extend through openings 30 in the bar. A screw 31 having a knurled head 32 extends into each end of the bar and is engageable with a track member 11 to secure the bar in any adjusted position thereon.

Carried by each screw 31 is a clamping plate 33 which extends around a leg 27. A nut 34 on each screw engages the clamping plate. Nuts 34 are actuable to lock the bar 29 to legs 27 and thus adjust the length of the end portions of the legs projecting below the track members as viewed in FIGURE 2. Each such end portion carries a shoe 35 mounted on a screw 36 adjustably fixed to the end portion by means of a collar 37. The end of each screw 36 engages the end portion of leg 27 and may be actuated to adjust the position of the shoe thereon.

As shown, the frame 26 is normally located on sections 11]) of the track members. It will further be observed that the frame 26 may be pivoted with respect to the track members about the axes of screws 31.

Slidably mounted on sections 11a of track members 11 is a bar 38 having openings 39 through which the track members extend. Set screws 40 extend through the ends of the bar to lock it in any desired position on the track members. A pair of screws 41 extend through bar 38 and constitute head-engaging supporting legs. The screws 41 may be actuated to adjust the length of the legs and may be locked in adjusted position by locknuts 42.

In operation, the clipper is located in the device substantially in the position shown in the drawing and the user proceeds to trim the hair at the sides of the head, the inclined sections 11b being directed towards the crown of the head and the shoes 35 engaging the head. During this stage of the operation, the bar 38 with its supporting legs is not employed and may be removed from frame 10. Furthermore, the roller 21 and its mounting is not essential and may be employed only when a longer length of cut is desired. The length of the projecting end portions of legs 27 is adjusted to provide any desired angle of taper of cut from the sides towards the crown of the head. Then, the clipper with its carriage is moved along the track members while performing the clipping operation. The device is successively shifted around the sides of the head until the side trimming is completed, any desirable adjustments being made from time to time.

It will be appreciated that the provision of the inclined sections 11b of the track members plus the provision for adjustment of the length of the supporting legs 27 extending from these sections renders convenient the selection of any desired trim taper. Moreover, the inclined sections 11b ensure a smooth, even transition of cut from the short areas of cut at the sides of the head to the longer areas of cut adjacent the crown of the head.

Following completion of the side trimming, the position of the carriage and clipper on the track members 11 is reversed and the bar 38 with its supporting legs 40 adjusted to desired length is applied to the track members in the position substantially as shown in FIGURES l and 2. The length of the projecting portions of legs 27 is also adjusted as desired and the device applied to the top portion of the head with the ends of legs 40 and 27 resting thereon. The clipper and carriage are now slid along the track members while actuating the clipper to produce a cut of desired even length. The device is successively shifted around the head, with any necessary additional adjustments, to complete the operation.

I claim:

1. A hair clipper guide comprising a U-shaped frame having a pair of opposed parallel track members each hav- 1ng a first straight section of major extent and a second section of minor extent extending at an oblique angle from said first section, and a web connecting the ends of said second sections, a hair clipper supporting carriage slidably mounted on said track members, first and second bars each extending transversely of said pairs of track members and slidably mounted thereon, clamps carried by each said bar and fixing said bar to said track members in selected position thereon, said first bar being located on said first sections and said second bar being located on said second sections, a pair of legs axially adjustably mounted in each said bar, and a head-engaging shoe carried by each said leg on said second bar.

2. A hair clipper guide as defined in claim 1, each said leg of said first bar being independently axially adjustable in said first bar.

3. A hair clipper guide as defined in claim '2, said legs 15 of said second bar being integrally connected together and having slidable frictional engagement with said clamps of said second bar.

4. A hair clipper guide as defined in claim 1, said carriage having a head-engaging roller adjustably suspended 5 therefrom.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 736,198 8/03 Black 30201 10 2,670,744 3/54 Levin 132-45 2,765,797 10/56 Potente 13245 FOREIGN PATENTS 560,041 6/23 France.

WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner. 

1. A HAIR CLIPPER GUIDE COMPRISING A U-SHAPED FRAME HAVING A PAIR OF OPPOSED PARALLEL TRACK MEMBERS EACH HAVING A FIRST STRAIGHT SECTION OF MAJOR EXTENT AND A SECOND SECTION OF MINOR EXTENT EXTENDING AT AN OBLIQUE ANGLE FROM SAID FIRST SECTION, AND A WEB CONNECTING THE ENDS OF SAID SECOND SECTIONS, A HAIR CLIPPER SUPPORT CARRIAGE SLIDABLY MOUNTED ON SAID TRACK MEMBERS, FIRST AND SECOND BARS EACH EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY OF SAID PAIRS OF TRACK MEMBERS AND SLIDABLY MOUNTED THEREON, CLAMPS CARRIED BY EACH SAID BAR AND FIXING SAID BAR TO SAID TRACK MEMBERS IN SELECTED POSITION THEREON, SAID FIRST BAR BEING LOCATED ON SAID FIRST SECTIONS AND SAID SECOND BAR BEING LOCATED ON SAID SECOND SECTIONS, A PAIR OF LEGS AXIALLY ADJUSTABLY MOUNTED IN EACH SAID BAR, AND A HEAD-ENGAGING SHOE CARRIED BY EACH SAID LEG ON SAID SECOND BAR. 